Department for Communities and Local Government

Communities and Local Government: Coventry

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many visits (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have made to Coventry in each of the last five years.

Mr Mark Francois: Details of Ministerial overseas travel, and senior officials' business expenses are published on a quarterly basis. The remaining information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Homelessness

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department has spent on tackling homelessness in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: Since 2010 we have invested over £500 million to enable local authorities and the voluntary sector to support those vulnerable and at risk of homelessness.One person without a home is one too many and we are committed to do all we can to prevent homelessness. We have protected the homelessness prevention funding local authorities receive, totalling £315 million by 2019-20. This builds on our Spending Review commitment to increase central government funding to £139 million over the next four years. We are working with homelessness organisations to consider all options, including legislation, to ensure those at risk of homelessness get earlier and more effective support.We also announced in the Budget £100 million to deliver low cost ‘move on’ accommodation to enable people leaving hostels and refuges to make a sustainable recovery from a homelessness crisis, providing at least 2,000 places for vulnerable people to enable independent living.

Local Growth Deals

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 25 April 2016 to Question 34445, if he will publish on his Department's website the basis on which further Local Growth Fund awards will be made later in 2016; and what criteria his Department uses to assess competitively bids for that fund.

James Wharton: The Secretary of State has written to all Local Enterprise Partnerships setting out the basis for which awards will be made in this round of Growth Deals. The letter sets out the criteria that will be used in assessment, which include demonstrating strong collaboration across the local area, strong governance, engagement with key government objectives, and delivery of existing Growth Deals. A copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of the House. The outcomes of this round of funding will be published on the Government’s website.

Islam: Culture

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what his policy is on the foreign-funding of Islamic cultural centres in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Prime Minister has commissioned a review into the funding of extremism in the UK, including funding that comes from overseas.

Qatar Charity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what (a) financial support and (b) other support the Government has given to Qatar Charity in the last five years.

Mr Marcus Jones: We are not aware of any Government financial support given to Qatar Charity in the last five years.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Yemen: Bomb Disposal

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will produce resources, equipment, personnel and training to Yemeni organisations to assist in the de-mining of areas affected by the use of cluster munitions.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK is supporting UNDP led efforts to urgently re-build the capacity of Yemen's national demining institutions and support mapping and clearance operations to reduce the physical and social-economic impact of mines and explosive remnants of war on people and communities. The UK is contributing £1.05 million for this work in 2016 through the Conflict Stability and Security Fund. This is part of the UK’s wider efforts to help address Yemen's urgent humanitarian needs and contribute to effective stabilisation.

Iran: Human Rights

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the human rights situation in Iran.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The human rights situation in Iran continues to cause great concern, in particular its use of the death penalty and the restrictions on freedom of expression and belief. Although President Rouhani pledged to improve the rights and freedoms of the citizens of Iran when he was elected, we are yet to see concrete improvements.

Iran: Baha'i Faith

Mr George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the government of Iran on the imprisonment in 2008 of seven Bahá' í leaders in that country.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The UK regularly raises our concerns at the treatment of the Baha’i community in Iran. We call on the Iranian Government to end all persecution of individuals on the basis of their faith and to fulfil its international and domestic obligations to allow freedom of religion to all Iranians.

Iraq: Iran

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the human rights situation in Camp Liberty, Iraq.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We remain concerned about the residents of Camp Liberty. Our Embassy in Baghdad regularly raises this issue with the Government of Iraq and we support the United Nations’ calls for more to be done to protect residents. We are working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to relocate all the residents to safe third countries.That being said, Monitors from the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) regularly visit Camp Liberty and issue daily reports which provide an update on the situation there. Their assessment remains that the provision of life support systems such as water, electricity and food continue to be well in excess of basic humanitarian standards. They have reported that the relocation of protective bunkers and installation of additional protective concrete walls, to increase the security and safety of the residents, has been completed. Iraqi government officials have reported that diesel tankers and trucks containing food and other supplies continue to routinely enter the camp, that residents continue to be referred to hospitals and that the clinic remains in operation. Residents’ representatives have confirmed this to be accurate.

Colombia: State Visits

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what parts of the UK the President of Colombia will visit during his state visit in November 2016.

Mr Hugo Swire: I refer the Honourable Gentleman to my answer to PQ 38282.

Colombia: State Visits

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information he holds on which members of the Colombian government will accompany President Santos on his state visit to the UK in November 2016; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Hugo Swire: I refer the Honourable Gentleman to my answer to PQ 38282.

Colombia: State Visits

Christian Matheson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information he holds on the (a) military representation that will accompany President Santos of Colombia on his state visit to the UK in November 2016 and (b) rank and function of each such military representative.

Mr Hugo Swire: I am delighted that Her Majesty The Queen has invited President Santos and the First Lady of Colombia to the UK for the Autumn State Visit. HMG is in regular communication with the Colombian Government in the preparation for the Visit. Details of the programme including the composition of the Official Suite accompanying the President are yet to be confirmed.

Syria: Christianity

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information he holds on the number of Christians in Aleppo.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: There is a lack of reliable information on the number of Christians in Aleppo. At a press conference at the UN in Geneva in March 2016 the Chaldean Bishop of Aleppo, Antoine Audo (also President of Caritas Syria), estimated that the population of Christians in Aleppo had fallen from 160,000 pre-conflict to only 40,000 in 2016. My noble friend, the Rt Hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns recently met with Armenian Church leaders, including one from Aleppo, who stated his congregation had fallen by 50%.Overall, prior to the conflict, Christians numbered about 2.2 million — 10% of Syria's population. 40% of the Christian population have now left Syria. Many of the Christians left because of the widespread perception they supported the regime. Those remaining vehemently reject the claim.

Syria: Peace Negotiations

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the Government will raise the link between religious freedom and the degree of broader political liberalisation and stability during peace talks on Syria.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254, which the UK supported, urges all parties to the UN-facilitated political process to adhere to the principle identified by the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) to protect the rights of all Syrians, regardless of ethnicity or religious denomination. Through our membership of the ISSG we will continue to seek to ensure that Syrian minorities will be included and safeguarded as the political process progresses. In our contact with members of the Syrian opposition, who have signed up to the Geneva Communiqué, we have maintained a strong line on our commitment to pluralism and the need to ensure that Freedom of Religion or Belief is enshrined as a constitutional right. A proportion of the High Negotiations Council, including members of the negotiating team, are drawn from religious minority groups in Syria’s richly diverse population.

Syria: Armed Conflict

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to tackle (a) all the root causes of the conflict and (b) religious persecution of minority faiths in Syria.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure religious minorities are protected in Syria.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to protect freedom of religion or belief in Syria.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: Syria’s conflict has developed from peaceful protests against the government in 2011 to a violent insurgency that has complex international angles. Asad’s brutal actions have fuelled sectarian violence and the growth of Daesh. His regime is ultimately responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians. We support the efforts of the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan De Mistura, to seek agreement on a process of political transition in Syria. We are clear that there can be no military solution to the conflict. The UN led negotiations remain the best opportunity to end the conflict and achieve political transition away from Asad, leading to an inclusive government which can represent all Syrians.The UK, as a core member of the International Syria Support Group has agreed that protecting the rights of all Syrians, regardless of ethnicity or religious denomination is fundamental. This means seeking to ensure that Syrian minorities are included and safeguarded as the political process progresses. We are supporting non-governmental efforts to promote dialogue between different ethnic and sectarian groups in Syria, as we seek further progress on a political settlement.

Belgium: Radicalism

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential link between the foreign funding of Islamic cultural centres in Belgium and a rise in extremism and terrorism (a) in that country and (b) elsewhere; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: We do not have evidence to prove that the funding of Islamic cultural centres is linked to the rise of extremism and terrorism. We work closely with all levels of government in Belgium and with faith communities to discuss issues of mutual concern, including terrorism and extremism. We have a constructive partnership with Belgium to tackle these shared challenges. We will continue to work with a range of partners to protect UK and British interests.

Far East: Nuclear Weapons

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his (a) Japanese and (b) South Korean counterparts on the development of nuclear weapons by those countries.

Mr Hugo Swire: While the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) has discussed nuclear non-proliferation issues with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts this year, the specific issue raised in the question has not arisen: in joining the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as Non-Nuclear Weapons States, Japan and South Korea have undertaken legally binding commitments not to acquire nuclear weapons. Japan and the Republic of Korea have made clear public statements that strongly support the treaty as the cornerstone of global efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, to promote the safe and secure use of civil nuclear energy, and to pursue nuclear disarmament.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Disabled Students' Allowances

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to the Answer of 20 April 2016 to Question 34012, what estimate he has made of the average time the new Exceptional Case Process will take from receipt of an application to awarding interim support; and who will be responsible for assisting applicants with that process.

Joseph Johnson: When an application is received for interim support through the Exceptional Case Process, Student Finance England (SFE) will assess that request and confirm as quickly as possible whether interim support will be awarded. SFE expects that this will be within one month.In applying for interim support, the student and their higher education provider will need to confirm that the provider will not meet the students’ needs through a reasonable adjustment, and that the student has made a formal complaint to their higher education provider about this. Students are advised to speak to their disability adviser if they wish to apply under the Exceptional Case Process.

Universities: Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he is taking to reduce the reliance of universities on funding from the public purse.

Joseph Johnson: Higher education institutions are autonomous and independent from government, and as such they generate income from a variety of sources, alongside public support.In the 2014-15 academic year, the sector had a total income of £33bn, of which £16bn came from tuition fees and education contracts, £8bn from UK Government grants for both teaching and research, and £9bn from other sources, including commercial income.Universities now earn the majority of their income for teaching from fees. Detailed information about the exact nature and sources of higher education institution income across the Higher Education Funding Council for England-funded sector is publicly available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency website.

Department for Education

Audenshaw School

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 May 2016 to Question 37377, whether she has seen the report commissioned by Audenshaw School as part of an Ofsted requirement into the use of pupil premium money at that school; and if she will make a statement.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 May 2016 to Question 37377, if she will place in the Library a copy of the report commissioned by Audenshaw School as part of an Ofsted requirement into the use of pupil premium money at that school.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 May 2016 to Question 37377, if she will meet with the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish to discuss his concerns about Audenshaw School.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 May 2016 to Question 37377, whether she has discussed the issue of governance, accountability and scrutiny at Audenshaw School with (a) the Regional Schools Commissioner and (b) Ofsted; and if she will make a statement.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 May 2016 to Question 37377, what assessment she has made of the implications of the findings of Ofsted in its report of the inspection of Audenshaw School Academy Trust that approximately £120,000 of pupil premium funding was not spent on pupils for whom that funding was intended on the progress of those pupils; and what estimate she has made of the number of pupils at that school so affected.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The conditions of grant for the pupil premium make clear that its purpose is to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. School leaders are best placed to decide how to spend the pupil premium in line with this policy and the needs of their pupils.It is for schools to commission pupil premium reviews and act upon the recommendations. The recommendations should inform their development of an improved strategy for raising the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and spending their pupil premium funding.The Department has not seen the pupil premium report which Ofsted asked the school to commission. However, having reviewed the Ofsted report, and information from the school’s auditors, we have not identified any grounds for further action.The Hon. Member, Andrew Gwynne, has met the Regional Schools Commissioner for Lancashire and West Yorkshire, Vicky Beer, on a number of occasions to discuss his concerns about Audenshaw School Academy Trust and contact is ongoing.

Pupils: Bullying

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department collects on incidents of peer-to-peer bullying (a) in schools and (b) online.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what funding her Department has allocated to schools in England to tackle bullying in the last (a) 12 months and (b) five years.

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data for recording peer-to-peer bullying by schoolchildren (a) in schools and (b) online exist (i) nationally and (ii) locally.

Edward Timpson: It is unacceptable for any child to be victimised, harmed or bullied. All schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy which includes measures to prevent and tackle all forms of bullying. They should exercise their own judgment and develop a consistent approach to monitoring bullying incidents in their school. There is no requirement on schools to record and report incidents of bullying, so the Department does not hold national information on the number of incidents of bullying that take place in schools or online. The Department provided £1.3 million of funding over twelve months from spring 2015 to three anti-bullying organisations which worked with schools and young people to prevent and tackle all forms of bullying, including cyberbullying; and £2 million to organisations to specifically prevent and tackle homophobic, biphobic and transphobic (HBT) bullying in schools. This was on top of the £4 million provided for similar projects over the period 2013-15. In March the Government Equalities Office announced that £1 million will be made available to tackle HBT bullying this year.

Schools: Sexual Offences

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 May 2016 to Question 37395, if she will estimate the number of cases of sexual assault recorded in schools in England in the last five years.

Edward Timpson: The Department does not collect information on the number of sexual assaults taking place on school sites, and is not able to estimate the numbers of them occurring.

Exercise

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Active Movement programme implemented by Public Health Berkshire; and if she will roll that programme out to other parts of the country.

Edward Timpson: We want all pupils to be healthy and active and we welcome schemes such as Active Movement, which encourage pupils to participate more in physical activity. However, there are currently no plans to assess or roll out the Active Movement programme to all schools. This Government gives schools the freedom to choose how to use the primary PE and sport premium to improve their PE and sport provision. PE remains a compulsory subject at all four key stages in the national curriculum. The national curriculum sets out the expectation that pupils should be physically active for sustained periods of time. Through the primary PE and sport premium, the Government has provided over £450 million of ring-fenced funding to primary schools to improve PE and sport[1]. As announced in the 2016 Budget, revenue from the soft drinks industry levy will be used to double the primary PE and sport premium to £320 million a year from September 2017, enabling them to further improve the quality and breadth of PE and sport they offer. This is part of a wider government commitment to cut obesity rates; linking in to work across Whitehall, including DCMS’ recent Sports Strategy and DH’s forthcoming Childhood Obesity Strategy (expected to be launched in summer 2016). [1] Across the academic years 2013/14 to 2015/16.

Ministry of Justice

Civil Proceedings: Fees and Charges

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if his Department will conduct a review of the effect of civil court fee increases on people's ability to enforce their legal rights.

Dominic Raab: We keep court fees under regular review.

Prison Governors

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what criteria was used to select the prisons to take part in the planned pilot scheme on further autonomy for prison governors.

Andrew Selous: The six Reform Prisons have been carefully selected. Each of the prisons are different, which means the National Offender Management Service can test different models, in different locations, with different populations and different local circumstances.

Young Offenders: Digital Technology

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that education and training is available to young offenders to help them access the digital economy.

Andrew Selous: Equipping young offenders with the skills to access the digital economy supports their rehabilitation, and computing forms a core part of the education and training provided to young people in custody.The Justice Secretary has asked Charlie Taylor to conduct a review of youth justice. His report of emerging findings published in February underlined the importance of education to an effective youth justice system. He will report back this summer with recommendations on how to improve the treatment of young people in our care.

Prisoners: Ethnic Groups

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people of each ethnicity were sent to prison in each of the last five years.

Andrew Selous: The number of offenders sentenced to immediate custody in England and Wales at Crown Courts, by ethnicity, from 2011 to 2015, can be found in the sentencing data tool contained in the annual Criminal Justice Statistics publication, linked below. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2015 It is not possible to present a representative picture of ethnicity at magistrates’ courts because data on ethnicity at magistrates’ courts is not recorded for all offences.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Broadband: Finance

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much of £530 million his Department allocated to Broadband Delivery UK remained unspent at the end of the Phase 1 broadband delivery period.

Mr John Whittingdale: As of 1 May 2016, over £476m of BDUK funding had been spent on Phase 1 of the superfast broadband programme. Funding is released on completion of project delivery milestones. The remainder of the funding will be spent by end 2017 which is the completion date for some of the Phase 1 projects.

Information Commissioner

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what mechanisms the Information Commissioner's Office has in place to ensure decisions of staff of that Office are compliant with Section 42 of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Mr John Whittingdale: The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) produces guidance for organisations on their obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). This guidance is used by the Information Commissioner’s staff when assessing concerns and complaints from the public under S42 of the DPA. In addition, staff receive formal training to ensure that consistent outcomes are achieved in decision making.

Department for Work and Pensions

Sign Language

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if his Department will bring forward legislative proposals to apply provisions equivalent to those of the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015 to England.

Justin Tomlinson: The Government currently has no plans to bring forward legislative proposals to apply provisions equivalent to those of the British Sign Language (Scotland) Act 2015 to England. Last year the Minister for Disabled People published a written statement announcing that DWP would lead a Market Review of British Sign Language (BSL) interpreting provision, which would engage with Deaf people and stakeholder groups to examine opportunities that could strengthen and improve the market in the long term. The Call for Evidence for this review opened in January 2016 and closed in March 2016. We received hundreds of comprehensive submissions of evidence, which we are currently analysing.

Work and Health Programme

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his oral evidence to the Work and Pensions Committee of 11 May 2016, when his Department plans to publish its Green Paper on the proposed new Work and Health programme.

Priti Patel: As the Secretary of State has said, we will be publishing a Work and Health Green Paper later in the year. Separately, it was announced in the 2015 Spending Review that the Department for Work and Pensions would introduce a new Work and Health Programme, following the end of referrals to both the current Work Programme and Work Choice. This programme will be implemented in 2017 and will help to achieve the Government’s ambition of halving the disability employment gap.

Social Mobility

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with which individuals and organisations his Department is consulting to inform the life chances strategy.

Priti Patel: As is customary in the development of any Strategy, we have engaged in discussions with a range of organisations and individual experts as we develop the Life Chances Strategy.

Work Programme: Finance

Neil Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding his Department (a) has allocated since 2011 and (b) plans to allocate by 2020 to the Work Programme.

Priti Patel: The Departmental Annual Report for 2014/2015 includes the final outturn numbers for Employment Programmes from 2011/12 to 2014/15 (page 181 of the report). These figures have been audited.  2011/122012/132013/142014/15OutturnOutturnOutturnOutturn£m£m£m£m8768021,037950 The Annual Report also includes separately published values for the Work Programme for the years 2011/2012 (£283m), 2012/2013 (£453m) and 2013/2014 (£636m). Work Programme spend has not been separately published beyond 2013/2014. Figures for the year 2015/2016 and beyond cannot be provided as they are subject to change and have not been published. Sources: 2011/12 to 2014/15: DWP Departmental Annual Report 2014/2015: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/445950/dwp-annual-report-and-accounts-2014-to-2015.pdf

Social Mobility

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the life chances strategy will be published.

Priti Patel: My Department’s forthcoming Life Chances Strategy will be published later this year.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of the (a) army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force were deployed to which countries on (i) 1 May 2016 and (ii) during 2015.

Penny Mordaunt: Members of the Armed Forces routinely deploy overseas on operational duties or to conduct other Defence activities. The scope, scale and timeframes of some of these deployments mean that it is not always possible to provide comprehensive lists.The answer to part (i) is provided in the attached map and is accurate as at 6 May 2016. We are, however, unable to break this down by Service.The answer to part (ii) will take longer to assemble. I will write to the hon. Member in due course.



Map to support PQ38263 - Armed Forces deployments
(Image, 210.55 KB)

Maritime Patrol Aircraft

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of UK allies providing maritime patrol aircraft for use in the UK in advance of the delivery of new P8 aircraft.

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with which of his international counterparts on the provision of maritime patrol aircraft for use in the UK in advance of the delivery of the P8 aircraft.

Mr Philip Dunne: Since the withdrawal of the Nimrod MR2 in March 2010, we have drawn on other military assets, including Type 23 Frigates, submarines and Merlin Anti-Submarine Warfare helicopters and, where appropriate and possible, assistance from allies. We will continue the present practice of issuing requests to allies to provide Maritime Patrol Aircraft when there is an operational need to do so.Our allies are well aware of the value of such reciprocal support and there are also many instances of the UK providing support to others. Examples include Quick Reaction Alert aircraft for Baltic Air Policing and the integration of HMS KENT into a French carrier group deployment to the Gulf last year

Army: Reserve Forces

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people have (a) joined and (b) left the army reserve force in each year since 2010.

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people who joined the army reserve force in each year since 2010 subsequently left that force in each of those years.

Mr Julian Brazier: The information requested is shown in the tables below. Numbers joining and then leaving the FR20 Army Reserve 1 April 2012 - 31 March 2016Year of JoiningTotal Joining Of which number who subsequently leftFinancial Year (FY) of Leaving Still in FR20 Army Reserve on 1 April 2016FY 2012-13FY 2013-14FY 2014-15FY 2015-16Total18,4004,0403301,0801,0801,55014,360FY 2012-133,9602,0703308905203301,900FY 2013-142,9609301904203202,030FY 2014-155,210760 1306304,440FY 2015-166,260270   2706,000   The overall numbers joining and leaving the Future Reserves 2020 are routinely published by the Ministry of Defence in the UK armed forces monthly personnel statistics, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-armed-forces-monthly-service-personnel-statistics-2016For convenience, data from that publication have been collated into the table below.  Overall numbers joining and leaving the FR20 Army Reserve 1 April 2012 - 31 March 2016YearTotal joining FR20 Army ReserveTotal leaving FR20 Army ReserveFY 2012-133,9604,710FY 2013-142,9604,620FY 2014-155,2103,350FY 2015-166,2603,030 Notes: Validated Figures for the FR20 population are not available before April 2012. The table above shows the FR20 population only and therefore excludes University Officer Training Corps Cadets, Non-Regular Permanent Staff and Sponsored Reservists. Intake to the FR20 population includes direct transfers from other parts of the Armed Forces and those with previous UK Armed Forces service. The numbers of personnel leaving the FR20 population include those transferring to other parts of the Armed Forces, including the Regular Army. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Numbers ending in 5 have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. Totals and sub-totals have been rounded separately and so may not equal the sum of their rounded parts.

Home Office

Sergei Magnitsky

Mr Ben Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons the Government permits the 35 people named under the US Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012 to (a) hold assets in the UK and (b) be issued with UK visas.

Richard Harrington: As we have previously made clear, the Magnitsky case remains of serious concern to the UK Government.The UK Government has powers in relation to assets that are very similar to those available to the United States under the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012. These powers are under regular review and the Government will consider further legislation if and when the evidence suggests it is necessary.Wherever we have evidence that individuals were involved in the Magnitsky case, that evidence is taken very carefully into account in considering visa applications.For reasons of data protection the Government does not routinely comment on individuals' asset holdings or immigration cases.

HM Treasury

EU Budget: Contributions

Mrs Anne Main: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the UK's reste à liquider payments were in each of the last 10 years; and if he will estimate the value of those payments in each of the next 10 years.

Greg Hands: Reste à liquider (RAL) represents, in a particular year, the sum of outstanding commitments which have been agreed, but that may be paid in a future period. No sum is specifically allocated to the UK. The total amounts of EU budget payments of RAL are only available for the past 9 years. The payments of RAL sit within the spending limits set out in the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020. The amount of payments on RAL made in EU budgetary years is provided in the European Commission’s annual Report on Budgetary and Financial Management. The 2015 edition can be viewed at the following link:http://ec.europa.eu/budget/library/biblio/documents/2015/2015_report_budgetary_financialmanagement.pdf.

UK Membership of EU

Andrew Rosindell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many officials of his Department were involved in the research, writing and production of his Department's document entitled HM Treasury analysis: the long-term economic impact of EU membership and the alternatives; and if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of the research and production of that document.

Greg Hands: The British people are asking for the facts before they decide whether to vote Remain or Leave in the EU referendum. The Treasury’s analysis shows that if the UK leaves the EU, the UK would be permanently poorer and it estimates an annual loss of 6.2% of GDP after 15 years, which is equivalent to £4,300 per UK household in 2015 terms. The Treasury is appropriately resourced to support the Government’s priorities in Europe. However, it is not practical to identify full-time equivalent staff numbers.

Treasury: Pay

Greg Mulholland: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average hourly earnings were of his Department's (a) BME and (b) non-BME employees in (i) 2015 and (ii) 2016.

Harriett Baldwin: 20162015BAMEWhiteBAMEWhiteStudent9.89.89.79.7Range B10.810.21110.8Range C12.712.913.113.2Range D16.416.216.816.8Range E25.926.726.127.0Range E230.530.630.230.6SCS38.741.941.143.6

Immigration: Economic Growth

Andrew Bridgen: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of economic growth generated as a direct result of immigration in the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the effect of immigration on the rate of economic growth in the next five years.

Harriett Baldwin: Analysis undertaken by the independent Migration Advisory Committee in 2012 shows that higher levels of net migration will, all else equal, increase the growth rate of the potential labour supply and therefore the rate of growth of overall GDP.

Revenue and Customs: West Yorkshire

Judith Cummins: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average cost of floor space (a) will be at the planned HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office in Leeds and (b) is at the HMRC offices in Bradford.

Damian Hinds: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) location decisions were based on a number of key principles to enable it to deliver more for less. These plans will generate estate savings of up to £100 million a year by 2025 across HMRC’s entire estate. It will do this at a lower cost to the taxpayer by using the best of modern technology and basing its staff in modern and more cost-effective buildings.

UK Membership of EU

Andrew Rosindell: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many officials of his Department were involved in the research, writing and production of his Department's recent analysis of the effect of Britain leaving the EU on the value of homes in the UK; and if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of the research and production of that analysis.

Greg Hands: The British people are asking for the facts before they decide whether to vote Remain or Leave in the EU referendum. Analysis published by HM Treasury shows the impact that a vote to leave the EU wouldhave on UK output and house prices. In the ‘shock scenario’, after two years, house prices would be 10% lower compared with a vote to remain in the EU. The Treasury is appropriately resourced to support the Government’s priorities in Europe. However, it is not practical to identify full-time equivalent staff numbers.

Cabinet Office

Passports

Kevin Hollinrake: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people resident in the UK hold an EU non-British passport and previously held a non-EU country passport.

Mr Rob Wilson: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 01 June 2016.The correct answer should have been:

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.


Attachment 1 for Member
(Word Document, 14.01 KB)



Attachment 2 for Member
(Word Document, 12.57 KB)



UKSA Letter to Member - Non-EU Country Passports
(PDF Document, 119.83 KB)

Mr Rob Wilson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.


Attachment 1 for Member
(Word Document, 14.01 KB)



Attachment 2 for Member
(Word Document, 12.57 KB)



UKSA Letter to Member - Non-EU Country Passports
(PDF Document, 119.83 KB)

Department of Health

Endometriosis: Diagnosis

Nusrat Ghani: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 36175, what steps his Department is taking to reduce  the length of time from the onset of symptoms to the diagnosis of endometriosis.

Jane Ellison: The Department has asked the National Institute of Health for Health and Care Excellence to develop a guideline on the diagnosis and management of endometriosis. This will include: symptoms and sings of endometriosis; and use of diagnostic tests including imaging, biomarkers and surgical diagnosis. The guideline is due to be published in September 2017.

HIV Infection

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to advance the development of a cure for HIV; what assessment he has made of the development by the US government of HIV antibodies which bind to the target site and stop the virus from infecting the cell; and what international research partnerships his Department currently has for developing a cure for HIV.

Jane Ellison: The United Kingdom Government provides funding to the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI). IAVI has been instrumental in working with partners, including the United States National Institutes of Health who have undertaken the work to identify broadly neutralising antibodies from asymptomatic people infected with HIV. IAVI and its partners are still at an early stage of working with these broadly neutralising antibodies, to investigate how they might be used to prevent and treat HIV infection. Funding from the UK Government has allowed IAVI to bring together expertise from academia and the pharmaceutical sector, and from across regions, including the UK and Eastern and Southern Africa, to collaboratively design and evaluate novel vaccine candidates, to demonstrate, in the longer-term, that at least one can be fully developed into an effective vaccine to help prevent HIV infection or AIDS.

Hospitals: Food

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that outsourced hospital food providers and the places they source their ingredients are monitored regularly to ensure the highest hygiene standards.

Jane Ellison: All hospital food providers need to register with their local authority Environmental Health Department, who will carry out food safety interventions, including inspections, at a frequency determined by the risk based intervention criteria in the Food Law Code of Practice. The inspections will include consideration of the provider’s traceability system.

Heart Diseases

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to ensure equality of access to heart valve replacements.

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department has taken to improve equality of access to echo-cardiography for the identification of heart valve disease for people aged over 65.

Jane Ellison: NHS England is holding a Clinical Summit on 15 June 2016, bringing together cardiologists and cardiac surgeons to examine the issues relating to heart valve disease. This will discuss variation and the outputs will be used to inform the future commissioning approach within specialised commissioning. In addition, the office of the Chief Scientific Officer for NHS England is working with the National Clinical Director for Heart Disease and Health Education England to look at ways to improve provision and increase access to echocardiography for the identification of heart valve disease. NHS England has also undertaken a significant programme of work on congenital heart services, working very closely with the relevant stakeholders, including patients and their representatives, clinicians and hospital managers. This work produced a new set of service standards with the aim of achieving the best outcomes for all patients, consistently across the whole country and with excellent patient experience. Following consultation these standards were agreed by the board of NHS England in July 2015 and came into effect on 1 April 2016.

Endometriosis

Nusrat Ghani: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 36176, what steps his Department is taking to increase awareness of endometriosis among (a) primary healthcare professionals and (b) women of reproductive age.

Jane Ellison: It is important that women with endometriosis receive appropriate treatment and support. Information on endometriosis is readily available to both the public and healthcare professionals. NHS Choices have published information for the public on the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis available at: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Endometriosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx The Department of Health in England has asked the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence to develop a guideline on the diagnosis and management of endometriosis for healthcare professionals, including those in primary care. The guidance will be published in July 2017. All obstetricians and gynaecologists have been trained in the diagnosis, investigation and management of endometriosis, which is specifically listed as a topic in the core curriculum for obstetrics and gynaecology. To support clinicians, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology has published a comprehensive guideline and app on the management and treatment of endometriosis. Guideline available at: https://www.eshre.eu/Guidelines-and-Legal/Guidelines/Endometriosis-guideline.aspx

Endometriosis

Nusrat Ghani: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 9 May 2016 to Question 36176, what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for the increase in the count of finished admission episodes with a primary or secondary diagnosis of endometriosis, between 2010-11 and 2014-15.

Jane Ellison: The Department has not conducted a formal assessment of the reasons for the increase in hospital admissions with a primary or secondary diagnosis of endometriosis, between 2010-11 and 2014-15. However, it has asked the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to develop a guideline on the diagnosis and management of endometriosis. This will include: use of staging systems to guide treatment decisions; timing of interventions; and pharmacological and surgical treatments. A consultation on the draft guidelines is scheduled to run from 27 February 2017 until the 10 April 2017, with an expected publication date of September 2017.

Epilepsy: Plymouth

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons people in Plymouth who have epilepsy are waiting six months from having a seizure to see a consultant of specialist nurse.

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people with epilepsy there are in Plymouth.

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what measures his Department uses to identify how often people with a diagnosis of epilepsy receive treatment from a consultant or nurse.

Jane Ellison: There are no national measures or means by which the Department monitors frequency of patients reviews, either by consultants or nurses. Guidance is issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence however this does not replace the skills and knowledge of health professionals in managing patients. The arrangements for the management and follow up of people with epilepsy are a local matter and decisions on the frequency with which patients are seen should be made on a case by case basis, taking into account the individual circumstances of each patient. NHS England advises that the maximum wait for outpatients to receive a neurology appointment is 12 weeks currently. Additionally 92% of patients are being seen under the specified ‘Referral To Treatment’ waiting times of 18 weeks which is within the national target. The information on the number of people with epilepsy in Plymouth is not available in the format requested.

HIV Infection: Males

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has assessed the effect on HIV infection amongst men in sexual contact with unvaccinated women from countries with no or low-uptake HPV vaccination programmes.

Jane Ellison: No such assessment has been made.

Infectious Diseases: Children

Heidi Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 28 April 2016 to Question 36036, for what reason the awareness campaign on the symptoms of serious infections in children is not being extended to all adults including those who are not parents.

Jane Ellison: Infections can be serious in both adults and children. Public Health England has been commissioned to develop a public awareness campaign for parents and families about serious infections in children, including meningitis, septicaemia and sepsis. Health Education England have been asked to work with National Health Service organisations to develop parallel professional awareness materials for healthcare professionals who work with both children and adults who have serious infections, including sepsis. A range of information materials for the public are also available on the UK Sepsis Trust website and NHS Choices.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will direct the NHS to review its decision on the expansion of access to pre-exposure prophylaxis treatment for people most at risk of contracting HIV.

Jane Ellison: NHS England’s Specialised Services Commissioning Committee (SSCC) have considered and accepted NHS England’s external legal advice that it does not have the legal power to commission pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). However, work on PrEP is ongoing and up to £2 million will be invested in a pilot programme to target those at highest risk over the course of two years.Public Health England is working to identify the most effective locations for the introduction of this pilot. The Department will be discussing future commissioning with stakeholders.PrEP is a new use of HIV drugs which has shown effectiveness in research trials at preventing HIV in people at high risk of getting HIV such as men who have sex with men and people with HIV-positive partners. The drug used in United Kingdom trials, Truvada, is not yet licenced for use as PrEP. As with any new intervention, PrEP now needs to be properly assessed in relation to clinical and cost effectiveness to see how it could be commissioned in the most sustainable and integrated way and how it compares with other cost-effective approaches.Our £2.4 million national HIV Prevention and Sexual Health Promotion Programme also gives those at highest risk the best advice to make safer choices about sex.

Nutrition: Surveys

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the next set of National Diet and Nutrition Survey data is planned to be published.

Jane Ellison: The next report of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey is being prepared and will be published as an Official Statistic; the publication date will be announced in advance in accordance with the Official Statistics Code of Practice.

Medical Equipment

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent progress his Department has made in replacing Linear Accelerators that are older than 10 years old; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Ellison: In order to provide the very best radiotherapy treatment to patients, NHS England has to urgently address the need to modernise radiotherapy machines. NHS England’s Radiotherapy Service Review will establish exactly what is needed, where and when, focussing on the highest priority replacements and upgrades to result in the greatest patient impact. The Review will produce a plan for a modern national radiotherapy network by September, with a revised radiotherapy service specification by the end of the year.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department holds information on the number of boys receiving HPV vaccinations through private provision.

Jane Ellison: The Department does not hold information on the number of boys receiving human papillomavirus vaccinations through private provision.

Antibiotics: Drug Resistance

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the effect of antimicrobial resistance on hospital budgets.

Jane Ellison: The current cost of antimicrobial resistance to the National Health Service is estimated to be in excess of £180 million per annum.

Antibiotics: Drug Resistance

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the potential number of deaths due to drug-resistant bacteria in the UK in each of the next three years.

Jane Ellison: Specific information on the number of deaths attributable to antimicrobial resistance is not currently available.However, a Europe wide study of multi-drug resistance1 estimated the number of deaths in the European Union, Norway and Iceland, due to multi-drug resistance in five specific bacteria. On the basis of population size, other things being equal, the conclusions reached in the study would imply that around 3,000 deaths per year in the United Kingdom may be due to multi-drug resistance in those specified infections. This is likely to be an underestimate as it omits consideration of large numbers of other bacteria.Note:1 European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control/European Medicines Agency Joint Technical Report: The bacterial challenge: time to react 2009

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish the equality impact assessment on the proposed HPV vaccination programme for men who have sex with men.

Jane Ellison: Public Health England is starting a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination pilot for men who have sex with men in June 2016. Information gathered during the pilot will help inform an equality impact assessment for a national programme if the pilot is successful.

Human Papillomavirus: Vaccination

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans for the HPV vaccination programme at sexual health clinics for men who have sex with men to be rolled out nationally at the earliest opportunity or to be implemented through initial pilot projects.

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the timetable is for implementing HPV vaccinations at sexual health clinics for men who have sex with men.

Jane Ellison: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the expert body that advises the Government on all immunisation matters, advised that a targeted human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme should be undertaken for men who have sex with men (MSM) up to 45 years of age who attend genitourinary medicine and HIV clinics. They noted that this should be subject to procurement of the vaccine and delivery of the programme at a cost-effective price. JCVI acknowledged that finding a way to implement its advice would be challenging and made clear that work was needed by the Department and others to consider commissioning and delivery routes for this programme.The Department announced on 26 May 2016 that an HPV vaccination pilot for MSM would start in June.

Neuromuscular Disorders

Mr Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the health benefits of (a) regular supported activity for people with long-term neurological conditions and (b) the commissioning of services to support such activity.

Jane Ellison: The Department has made no such specific assessment. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends the involvement of physiotherapists in the management of a range of neurological conditions including Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease. The commissioning of services to provide supported physical activity, such as that provided by physiotherapists, is a local matter, as are the vast majority of services for neurological conditions.

Department of Health: Pay

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average hourly earnings were of his Department's (a) BME and (b) non-BME employees in (i) 2015 and (ii) 2016.

Jane Ellison: The information requested (as at 31 March in each of the two years) is presented below. The figures given take into consideration only information about staff who have formally declared their ethnicity.  Average Hourly Rate 2015Average Hourly Rate 2016Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Staff£18.50£19.03Non-Black and Minority Ethnic (Non-BME) Staff£24.23£24.34 17% of the Department’s staff are BME which is above the Civil Service average. The difference in average hourly rates between BME and non BME staff is due to there being a higher proportion of BME staff in junior grades at present. To encourage recruitment and promotion of talented individuals from a BME background, the Department has undertaken several initiatives including, but not limited to, blind recruitment forms, mandatory unconscious bias training for all staff and a suite of other Diversity and Inclusion training, such as Race Awareness, Positive Action Pathways, and Future Leaders Schemes.

Cancer

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what additional funding his Department plans to make available for implementation of the recommendations of the Independent Cancer Taskforce.

Jane Ellison: By 2020-21, the Government will increase funding for the National Health Service by £10 billion a year in real terms compared with 2014-15, to support the implementation of the NHS’s own plan - the NHS Five Year Forward View - to transform services across the country. The Government is backing the NHS plan and enabling it to go further – by investing £2 billion more than the £8 billion the NHS asked for – delivering government objectives including improved access to cancer treatments.As part of the response to the independent Cancer Taskforce’s recommendations, in September 2015, we announced funding of up to £300 million a year by 2020 to increase diagnostic capacity to meet the new target that patients will be given a definitive cancer diagnosis, or the all clear, within 28 days of being referred by a general practitioner.

Cancer

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps have been taken by NHS England to commission access to molecular diagnostic tests for (a) melanoma, (b) lung cancer, (c) colorectal cancer, (d) breast cancer and (e) all paediatric cancers.

Jane Ellison: The independent Cancer Taskforce recognised the need for more accessible molecular diagnostic provision in its report, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes: A Strategy for England 2015-2020, published in July 2015.Following this, in September 2015, we confirmed a commitment from NHS England to implement the recommendations on molecular diagnostics. This will mean that around 25,000 additional people a year will have their cancers genetically tested to identify the most effective treatments. NHS England worked with partners across the healthcare system to produce an implementation plan, Achieving World-Class Cancer Outcomes: Taking the strategy forward, which was published on 12 May 2016.Also in September 2015, the NHS England Board approved the development of a Personalised Medicine Strategy for the National Health Service, to be discussed at the NHS England Board in the summer. This work will build on the 100,000 Genomes Project, in which the NHS is a key delivery partner. The Project will sequence whole genomes from eligible patients with rare diseases and cancers. It is moving the NHS to a new model of diagnosis and treatment based on understanding of underlying genetic causes and drivers of disease and a comprehensive phenotypic characterisation of the disease (rather than deduction from symptoms and individual diagnostic tests). This will be critical in guiding the approach to molecular diagnostics.In addition, changes to the section 118 guidance implemented in the national tariff payment system for molecular diagnostics which were implemented from April 2016 will support clinical change and practice and have been broadly welcomed by industry bodies. This means molecular genetic tests which are companion diagnostics being funded separately by commissioners for the first three years before being incorporated into national prices for treatment episodes. There are six tests routinely commissioned in this way in their first three years which have been funded in this way with effect from April, and an annual process for ensuring that new tests which are clinically and cost-effective and adopted as commissioning policy by NHS England or mandated by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, are reflected in ongoing arrangements.

Zika Virus

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the spread of the Zika virus to the UK following travel to South America for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Jane Ellison: The risk to the United Kingdom population posed by Zika virus – and of the mosquito species which transmit the virus establishing itself in the UK – remains extremely low. The Government is ensuring the UK and those travelling to countries with active Zika transmission by mosquitoes are protected. Up-to-date travel advice is in place, and clinical advice is available to UK medical professionals. Public Health England has been working with Royal Colleges to provide guidance to healthcare professionals on managing symptomatic patients (including pregnant women) returning from areas with active transmission of Zika. This has been cascaded by appropriate Royal Colleges. Furthermore, NHS Blood and Transplant will defer donors returning from areas with active Zika transmission from donating for 28 days.  On 13 May 2016 the Department of Health, along with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, convened an Olympic and Paralympic health advisory group. The group brought together academic experts and cross-government representatives to support the British Olympic Association (BOA) and British Paralympic Association (BPA) in updating their guidance to athletes and staff travelling to Brazil for the Olympics and to ensure consistency with that provided to the travelling public. Zika virus was a key topic for discussion along with other potential health risks. The BOA and BPA are updating their guidance in light of discussions at the meeting and with further input from the academics and clinicians present. The Foreign Office will link this to their wider consular campaign ‘Stay ahead of the Games’.